Rabbi Cattapan is a native of Argentina. In Argentina, his education included the Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano (Conservative) and the University of Buenos Aires, where he studied Ancient and Medieval Philosophy and was teaching assistant in General Linguistics.
He came to the U.S in 1994 to attend Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio. Rabbi Cattapan received his M. A. in Hebrew Letters in 1997, and 1998 was ordained as rabbi at the HUC-JIR in Cincinnati. In 2004, Rabbi Cattapan earned his M. Phil. in Hebraic and Cognate Studies. After ordination, he taught Modern Hebrew at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Before coming to Beth Torah, Rabbi Cattapan served synagogues in Indiana and Ohio. On July 1st, 2016 he became the spiritual leader as Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beth Torah in Overland Park, Kansas.
Rabbi Cattapan has been active on the boards of SCAN (Stop Child Abuse and Neglect), the Dr. Harry W. Salon Foundation, and the Jewish Federation of Fort Wayne when he lived in Indiana and is looking forward to becoming involved and present in organizations here in the Kansas City metro. He regularly participates in interfaith panel discussions and other outreach programs representing the Jewish point of view on a variety of issues. He is member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the local rabbinical Association of Greater Kansas City. He is married to Mr. Kris D. Gray.
Rabbi Javier Cattapan
Senior Rabbi, Congregation Beth Torah
(913) 498-2212